Process of producing coke and apparatus therefor



May 13, 1930. A H. Kor-PERS 1,758,524

PROCESS OF PRODUCINC COKE AND APPARATUS THEREFQR original Filed June 5. i922 2 sheets-sheet 1 May 13, 1930. H. KOPPERS 1,758,524

-PROCESS OF PRODUCING COKE AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Original Filed June 5,' 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ylo Patented AMay 13, 1930 .i

. P fr HEIRICH `KOEPERS, l' ESSEN-EUHR, GERMANY PROCESS 0F IPRODUCING COKE AN D APPRTUS THEREFOR Application led .Tune 5, 1922, Serial No. 566,011, and`in Germany 'October 7,y 1921'. Renewed Jnly', 1927.

My invention relates to the distillation of coal with a view to developing gases and to produce coke, and more particularly to a process and the means for carrying it into e'ect in which the coal is 'distilled in continuously 'operatedl vertical retorts or oven chambers.

v Heretofore only large coal could be treated in this manner owing to its interstices providing the necessary passage for the rising gases. As, however, large coal inevitably contains slack, often to a considerable extent, the advantage of using large coal is thereby partly counterbalanced. A further disadvantage is that the slack very soon rloses its caking capacity land is not bound to the large coal as it isbeing distilled. In consequence thereof, a mixture is obtained which com prises cokel of good and bad caking capacity.

This causes very great losses in the shape of smallcoke, and the abrasionof the pieces of coke is also considerable.

According to the present invention, these' disadvantages are avoided by distilling coal which has previously been ground to uni form size, and vforming gas passagesthroughl which the gases developed may escape into 4 y the gas lues, thus removing the resistances that prevent the escape of the distillation gases. Where thefcoal is in contact with the heated walls of the retort, it becomes pasty. These ,pasty layers are comparatively thin from 5 to :25 mm. thick, according to the sort of coal used, but in anyfcase they are practically impermeable to gas. In the llayers of coal near the heating walls, but not in the pasty'zone, coke is formed .which by shrinking forms passages of suiicient area Y for the gases to escape. In the inner layers 4o the coal ,remains unchanged until the tar line has migrated as far asthe centre and theentire charge has been coked. By' grinding the coal an intimate mixture is formed ,of the well' caking coal from the larger lumps and the badly caking, already oxidized slack,

such mixture yielding a good,` strong Aand {porous Icoke which is readily combustible.

In order to secure an efficient downward movement of the ground coal and an eliicient removal of the gases, and to insure an undisturbed operation of the' furnace, I provide each chamber with' a superstructure Y which is open at the-top, and I further provide along the wallsh of said superstructure rods which are intermittently moved up and r down. In this manner, passages are formed and maintained open in the upper portion of the heated distillation chambers, where the coking of the lower layers starts, so that .the gases can escape upwards. The rods are provided with recesses at their sides facing the walls so that the gases can escape also when the rods have reached the lower` end of their stroke. They must not be exposed to the intense heat for a long time, yet they may be safely left within' the charge until it has become comparatively solid owing to the starting of the coking process, so that on withdrawing a rod a cavity will be left which forms a gas passage. The' rods which 70 have become intensely hot in the charge, further transmit so much heat to the upper layers of the charge on being withdrawnv that the coal in these layers is partly distilled` and solidified to acertain. extent. By thus alternately lifting and lowering thevbars the most favorable conditions for the escape of the gases are created. The coal dust owing -to its iineness forms a gas-tightclosure of the chamber sojthatl special closing devices may be dispensed with altogether.

On the drawings, aiixed to this specification and forming a part thereof, there is illustrated diagrammatically a device constructed according to my invention and adapted to perform the novel process of the invention.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section on line A-l-B in Fig. 2. v

Fig. 2 is a cross section on line C-D in 90 Fig. 3, and Fig. 3 is a plan View, partly in section on lines E-F in Fig. 2 and partly in section on line G-I-I in Fig.` 1.

Referring to the drawings, the severalA 4lateral walls of thesuperstruct'ures 11. The

lower portions 15 lof the rods are channelled so asto form channels whose concave sides are i are Withdrawn from the charge.

facing the walls. The upper portions 16 of the rods are solid and are connected with one another at the top by yokes17 to which motion can b e imparted'by a screw spindle 18 actuated by a pair of bevel gears 19, When the rods 15, 16 are forced downwards into the charge, they form gasv passages in the coal. They are guided in such manner as to prevent coal dust from getting into their channell'ed portions 15. When the rods are forced into the charge, the gases can escape freely so that the presence of the rods does not obstruct the formation of gases. After a period whose duration is determined by the temperature to which the rods may safely be heated, they In conse* quence of the distillation thecoal dust surrounding the rods has become so solid that the hollow spaces left by the rods are kept ,open in the charge. The heat transmitted by the rods to the uppery layers of the charge serves to start solidi tication in these layers. In order to prevent the coal from sticking to the rods, the lower edges of the gas ports 14 are shaped after the manner'of Scrapers 20 which remove any small size material sticking to the rods. l Inspection openings 21 are provided 'in order to give access lto the inside of the channels 15 of the rods.-

The rods 15, 1G might also -bedisposed on the outside of the superstructures 11 or coal -duced correspondingly.

hoppers 12, the width of these parts being re- In this case, the cast iron covers of the chambers 10 would have to be provided with openings for the rods. The rods might also be arranged in recessesof the heating Walls.

Swelling coal may also `be treated by my iniproved process. In this case, the` chambers must be wedge-shaped. In the usual ovens, such coal cannot be used as the volume of the coal is` increased to such an vextent that it cannot be pushed out. In an oven having wedge shaped chambers, and whose walls diverge to wards the bottom, thecoke is free to swell in the directiontoward the heat supply, i, e. toward the two longitudinal walls of the chamber, the section increasing as the coal is moving' downwards. In this case, the chamber walls mightbe partly or wholly cut away at the inclined port-ions to make vroom lfor the rods 15, 16.

I wish it to sire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim: y

1. The process of treating coal which comprises: heating a substantially vertically elongated descending mass of small coal laterally inwardly of the mass to at least the carhonization tennfierature of the samein a closed chamber; continuously I discharging the solid residuum from said chamberat the lower portion thereof; continuously charging added coal into said chamber at the upper portion thereof; flowing off distillation gases from said chamber at said upper portion; and forming and maintaining in the outer lateral portions of the newly charged coal in the pasty zone of said coal substantially vertical passages having partially coked walls extending tothe outer lateral portions of an adjacent part of the charge in said chamber that has advanced beyond the pasty lstage for passage of distillation gasesl therefron through the newly charged mass in thepasty zone.

2. The process of treating coal which comprises: heating a mass of small coal later ally inwardly of the mass to at least the carbonizationy temperature of the same in a closed .-chamber; continuously discharging the solid residuum from said chamber at one part thereof; continuously charging added coal into said chamber at. another part thereof; flowing off distillation gases from said chamber at said another part; and forming and maintaining in the outer lateral portions of t-he newly charged coalin the p asty zone of said coal passages having partially coked walls extending to the outer lateral portions of an adjacent part of the charge in said chamber that has advanced beyond the pasty stage for passage of distillation gases therefrom through the newly charged mass in the pasty zone.

3. The process of treating coal which c0n1- prises: heating a substantially vertically elongated descending mass -of small. coal laterally inwardly of the mass to at least the carbonization temperature of the same in a closed chamber; continuously discharging the solid residuum from said chamber at the lower portion thereof; continuously charging added coal into said chamber at the upper portion thereof; flowing off distillation gases 4 from said chamber at said upper portion and alternately pressing into and'lifting out of .the outer ylateral portions of the newly charged coal in the pasty zone of said coal a rod in'substantially vertical direction, said rod effecting escape of distillation gases yfrom be understood that I do not de- A the outer lateral portion of an adjacent part of the charge in said chamber that has advanced beyond the pasty stage. Y

4. In a coke oven; in combination: a substantially vertically extending chamber having lateral heating Walls therefor; a superstructure on top of said chamber and forming an extension thereof; means for supplying coal to said -chamber through said superstructure; a rod extending from above through said superstructure into said, chamber and in close proximity to one of said lateral heating walls and adapted to provide a gas vent in solid material in said chamber in close proximity to said'heating wall.; and means for vertically moving said rod with relation to said chamber.

5. (In a coke oven, in combination: a substantially vertically extending chamber having lateral heating walls therefor; rods extending from above into sald chamber 1n contact with the walls thereof and adapted to move in'contact with solid material in said chamber and to form gas vents in said material alongside said walls; and means for vertically moving said rods with relation to said chamber.

y 6. In a coke oven, in combination: a substantially vertically extending chamber having lateral heating walls therefor; a superstructure on top of said chamber and forming an extension thereof; gas ports in said heating walls and intermediate said superstructureand saidchalnber and in communiwith'vertical combustion tlues and extend' ing above the tops of the combustlon flues and adapted for continuous charging .through its top and fori continuous discharging through its lower portions and for otl`. flow of distillate gases through solid lmaterial in its upper portions; rods-channeled longi-y tudinally thereof at their lower portions for a distance substantially equal to the distance between the top of said chamber and the topl of said combustion lues', said rods being arranged to extend from above into Said chamber down to the plane of the top of said vertical combustion flues and in close proximity to said lateral'heating Walls and adapted to move in contact with solid material in th'e upper portions of said chamber and provide gas c; vents in said material in lcl`oseproximity to lwith vertical combustion tlues and extendcation with said chamber; a rod extendingv`said walls; and means for vertically moving stantially vertically extending chamber having lateral heating Walls therefor provided ing above the tops of the combustion flues and adapted for continuous charging through its top and for continuous discharging through its lower portions and for olf-flow of distillate gases through solid material in its upper portions; rods channeled longitudinally thereof at their lower portions for a distance substantially equal to the distancebetween the top of said chamber and the top of said combustion lues, said 'rods being arber down to the planeI ofthe'top of said vertical con'ibustion lues and in close proximity to said lateral heating walls and adapted to mov-e in contact with solid material in the upper portions ofvsaid chamber and provide gas vents in said material in close proximity to said walls; a scraper extending into the chan- .bustion chambers in the heating walls and adapted for continuous charging through its top and for continuous discharging through ranged to extend from above into said chamits lower portions and for olf-flow of distillate gases through solid material in its upper portions; a plurality of rods arranged to'extend from above into said coking chamberdown to the plane of the tops of thesaid combustion chambers in said lateral heating walls and in contact with said heating walls and adapted to move in contact with solid material in the upper portions of said chamber andfto form gas vents in said material alongside said heating Walls; a cross-beam connecting said rods; and a screw .spindle for vertically moving Said cross-beam and said rods. 'I

A 10. In a coke oven, in stantially vertically extending chamber havinglateralheating walls therefor provided with vertical combustion iuesand extending above the` tops of the-combustion flues and adapted for continuous`charging through' its topiand for continuous discharging through its lower portions and forotf-tlow of distillate gases through solid material in its upper portion; a superstructure on top of said chamber; gas ports in said heating walls and intermediate said superstructure and said chamber and in communication with said chamber; rods arranged to extend from above' through said superstructure into said chamber down to the plane of thev tops of said vertical `combustion flues and in close proximity to said lateral heating walls and adapted to move in Contact with s`olid material in the upper portion of said chamber, said rods being adapted to permit escape of gases of distillation alongside said heating Walls to said gas ports While in contact with solid material in the upper portion of said chamber and permit partial coking of the material about said rods to provide gas .channels upon Withdrawal of said rods; and means for vertcally moving said rods with relation to said chamber.. p

In testimony whereof I ax my signature.

HEINRICH KGPPERS. 

